The Rhythm of Life

"Your father brought forth an era that revered the strong, where order was determined by iron fist and power. People vied for power and status, and the relationships between people were more tense than ever before. Self-interest could drive people, but it could not satisfy their hearts. The moment you are in is the last gasp of a golden age, the beginning of a world in turmoil."

The Imperial Tutor said so.

Gu Yi didn't believe it.

It wasn't that he didn't believe the imperial tutor's words, but as the heir to the throne, he couldn't trust them.

Just like Li Wujiu, no matter what destiny he sees, he must stand on Gu Yi's side, and he must also stand on his father's side.

"Your father is growing old and increasingly autocratic. You need to start building your own prestige and authority so that you can smoothly transition power when he is gone. Otherwise, once he passes away, a huge void will appear in the empire's power center. If you cannot quickly and completely grasp every opportunity for power to operate, you will inevitably give those belligerent people a chance, and that will be the beginning of chaos. And those people are the very people your father selected and cultivated during his sixty years of rule. They are good at sniffing out every weakness and every bit of profit, and they will strike without mercy."

This was the emperor's tutor's earnest advice to him.

His answer was: “I see power as a hinge, binding everyone and restraining each other, making everyone stumble and wary of one another. This is not the world I want to see, nor is it the cause for which I am willing to give my life. There is no such thing as ‘the Way’ in this.”

The Tao is real and indestructible, eternally existing in the void; truth and goodness are its essence, just as the sun is immortal. Where there is no sincere heart, there will be no truly precious and immortal things.

On the day of his father's seventieth birthday, he, as the crown prince whose virtue and integrity were widely praised and admired by all, presented his father with a lengthy and eloquent treatise entitled "On Benevolence." In it, he detailed how a nation based on benevolence and righteousness should be built, and how the benevolent ways of the former kings would prevail throughout the world and influence all people.

That was the world he longed to see. Officials loved and protected the people, and the people trusted their shepherds like parents and their kings like the sun. With their own benevolence and virtue, they encouraged the people and, full of hope, built a warm and mutually encouraging life in this world.

Of the four, the Gongye family, from which Gongye Fusu originated, had always been closest to politics. At this moment, Gongye Fusu exclaimed, "Could it be that you, Grand Tutor, are...?"

A hundred years ago, when the North and South had not yet split, the empire was still unified, Chang'an was still the capital, and the Hu people were still separated from the border by the Great Wall, the deposed crown prince who eventually fell out with his father, was falsely accused of launching a failed coup, and was deposed.

Gu Yi suddenly pressed his head down and hissed, "Don't mention that name."

His tone was hoarse and somber, as if he were bearing immense pressure. At that moment, no one dared to utter a single word.

Everyone could feel the immense darkness emanating from Gu Yi, a darkness that was constantly accumulating and threatening to engulf him.

I lost everything.

And everything that was lost never came back.

The most noble and incomparably talented child in the empire was stripped of all his glory and honor overnight.

Because he dared to provoke his father, the emperor, and openly put forward different political views.

To the Emperor, every word in that ten-thousand-word memorial was a blatant mockery: he was not a virtuous ruler like Yao and Shun, nor did he possess any real moral character. He had not established a world based on benevolent rule, but rather one that ran counter to it. Even though the Crown Prince himself, who submitted the memorial, had no such intention whatsoever.

What he found particularly intolerable was that the one who made this assessment was his crown prince, the future king.

This person has the right to determine his posthumous title and reputation; this person also has the right to overturn the empire and policies he has built up over his lifetime.

childish.

With such naive and unrealistic thinking, he not only opposed his father, who had single-handedly brought him to his current position, but he also knew he would never be a match for those old foxes.

What might a powerful emperor, who has been strong throughout his life, fear in his later years?

Afraid of opposition.

Fear of having no successor.

Fear that one's entire career will be negated.

Gu Yi possesses all three.

His fate was predictable.

At this moment, outside the forbidden area before he entered the pass, Gu Yi felt as if he had broken through his past self, and countless cruel memories rushed into his mind.

Suddenly, he could no longer see anything, only the blinding white sunlight. He slid to the ground, but the person next to him caught him immediately. Then, he began to cough up large amounts of blood.

Gongye Fusu immediately made a decision, saying, "We must immediately disperse his internal energy. If we delay any longer, his life may be in danger."

He added, “Although I do not know the cultivation method of this otherworldly being, I know that cultivation must be one with one’s state of mind. At this moment, he is repeatedly moved by emotions, and his true energy is flowing back and forth, attacking his own internal organs and meridians. If his power dissipates, he will become a cripple, but at least he can keep his life safe.”

Lie Changkong said urgently, "He is holding on and refusing to disperse his power, which must be in order to enter another world and pass on all his power to the young master through the secret teachings of Guigu."

Bai Shi then said, "We should not delay. We must find the entrance to the cave immediately and send the young master and Miss A Qiu inside."

This group was originally led by Gu Yi, but now that he is close to unconscious, how could the others know where the entrance to the Hidden World Sect's cave is?

Bai Shi replied, "It's alright, I can find it."

She closed her eyes, pointed to the ground, and muttered incantations. In an instant, the mountaintop became much darker, the wind and clouds swirled, the vegetation rustled, and everyone seemed to have the illusion that the ground was sinking and the mountain was shaking. The scenery here also became deep and mysterious.

Only now did A Qiu realize that it was true that Gu Yi had not used his full strength when Bai Shi set up the formation to capture her at Tiangongfang.

A moment later, the scenery returned to normal, and the sun shone on the mountaintop again. Bai Shi opened his eyes, which gleamed with an eerie light, and pointed with his finger, saying, "Behind that waterfall."

The waterfall she pointed to was the same white ribbon she had seen when entering the valley. Now, a rainbow appeared before the waterfall.

Without waiting for a reply, Lie Changkong said, "I will escort you there. Young Master Fusu, I will trouble you and Painter Bai to guard this place."

This is a huge natural stone formation.

Lie Changkong was merely Gu Yi's servant, not a member of the Daoist sect, and therefore could not trespass into his sect's forbidden area. Thus, he only escorted A Qiu and Gu Yi to the entrance of the cave, but did not enter further.

He looked at A Qiu, as if he wanted to offer her some more encouragement, but in the end he just patted her shoulder lightly and said, "Take care."

Without saying another word, A Qiu picked up Gu Yi, turned around, and ran inside.

As soon as she entered, she felt an extremely pure and profound spiritual energy permeating the space, giving her a refreshing and invigorating feeling.

If I had to give it a name, it would be "The Rhythm of Life".

The only stream flowing into the cave is a babbling brook, its waters meandering and seemingly guiding the way forward. Sunlight also filters through the cave ceiling, suggesting that it is not entirely isolated from the world.

She carried the unconscious Gu Yi along the spring until she entered the stone formation, at which point she was certain she had found the place.

Here, in all directions, there are eight naturally formed stalactite columns, upon which clusters of colorful crystal columns grow. Due to the repeated refraction of light, being in this place is like entering a world of color and light, full of ever-changing beauty.

Each stone pillar is engraved with a huge Bagua symbol.

The strokes were extremely rough and ancient, but they must have gone through a long period of time in which no one could be found.

A Qiu was not fully recovered at the moment, and she was exhausted after carrying Gu Yi for so long. After placing Gu Yi in the stone formation, she suddenly burst into tears.

She tried to reach her hand behind Gu Yi's back, but her outstretched right hand trembled uncontrollably and she withdrew it again.

The grief, which could no longer be contained, surged forth from the depths of my heart like an avalanche.

At this moment, the words Gu Yi had said to her before leaving echoed clearly in her mind.

"My current body may not be able to hold out until the moment I enter the cave heaven," Gu Yi's voice rang in her ears calmly and steadily.

"If I am no longer able to pass on my skills to you by then, you may absorb my power on your own."

A-Qiu was taken aback and astonished. Finally, she bit her lip and asked, "What would you do if I did this?"

Gu Yi turned his back and remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "No one has ever done this before. I... didn't know either."

Just as Gu Yi uttered those words, she felt her heart suddenly plunge into a state of utter terror, as if it were about to completely collapse.

No one had ever done this before.

But she could also guess the outcome.

Based on his experience, Gongye Fusu believed that after Gu Yi's powers were depleted, he would at most become a cripple, but he could still save his life.

But he forgot that Gu Yi's body was not a normal body, but a body that had been suppressed and maintained by pills for more than a hundred years. In terms of human lifespan, it should have decayed long ago.

Once the power that maintained his "otherworldly body" dissipates, he will most likely turn into a handful of dust.

He remained silent, perhaps because he had already anticipated this outcome.

Therefore, he concluded by saying, "Thank you for your hard work. From now on, I'll probably have to walk this road alone."

Ah Qiu cried so hard she could hardly speak, and despite several attempts, she couldn't bring herself to press her hand down.

As long as she presses her palm down and then lifts it up, Gu Yi will no longer exist, and he will be gone from the world, as if he had never existed at all.

Ah Qiu never knew she could have so many tears.

In her memory, she had never cried, never cried for anyone, not even herself.

What exactly was this overwhelming grief that threatened to engulf her like a tidal wave?

So what if she walks the road ahead alone? Hasn't she always come this far alone?

Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the most common things in the world.

As a disciple, as long as I carry on my master's wishes and carry on the sect, I will have done right by him.

Why did she have so many tears?

Actually, the time she had known Gu Yi and spent with him was not very long.

I did not spend as long a time in Lanling Hall, nor did I have as much time with my master and fellow disciples.

In just a few months of getting to know each other, she couldn't help but trust him completely, and was even willing to leave her sect for him, embarking on a path with no end in sight.

The trust in him seems to be ingrained in my bones, something I was born with.

She didn't want to lose him.

As she cried, she felt her head begin to ache and her brow begin to burn.

My heart is growing more and more chaotic, and my brow is burning hotter and hotter.

At that moment, a pure and gentle male voice, like heavenly music, rang in her heart: "If you want to save him, there is a way."